Mercedes’ motorsport subdivision HWA AG will be the eleventh Formula E team with an entry for the 2018/19 season, partnering with Venturi.
The fifth season of the championship will see the switch to a single car per driver with the introduction of the new Gen2 car which will be able to complete a full race distance without a mid-race car swap.
HWA will be entering the all-electric racing series in preparation for Mercedes’ manufacturer entry to Formula E for the 2019/20 season, when fellow German car giant Porsche will also be appearing.
“Not only does Formula E have a new-look and unique visual identity for season five, with the futuristic next generation car – but we also have exciting news with a new team entering the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in HWA AG,” said Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag.
“It’s rewarding to see a name so synonymous with racing join the already impressive and growing list of teams and manufacturers competing in Formula E. They have a proven track record in other categories and will surely push to replicate similar achievements in Formula E as we enter a new era of fully-electric racing.”
The Venturi team has had a technical partnership with HWA since the beginning of the current season, and will supply its powertrain to HWA for its inaugural season.
The HWA name first came about in 1998 as an AMG spin-off, and has played a large part in the success of Mercedes in DTM, which it will leave at the end of 2018, and has assisted in the design of its Formula 3 engines.
“Formula E is a completely new motorsport discipline with extremely tough competition. It’s a challenge that we’re very happy to rise to,” said HWA AG’s CEO Ulrich Fritz.
“HWA AG are the most successful team ever in DTM history. Our goal is to continue the company’s success story in Formula E.
“At the same time, Formula E with its unique concept offers a completely new perspective on the future for motorsport. The series is characterised by its innovative pioneering spirit and by its willingness to develop new ways of interacting with the fans.
“The street races in the heart of some of the world’s largest and most important cities open-up many opportunities to appeal to an entirely new audience and to get them fired up for racing and for sustainable technologies of the future.
“In combination with the fierce competition on the racetrack, this is the perfec t platform to demonstrate our core competencies on a global stage and to measure ourselves against the best teams.”
HWA’s driver line-up is unconfirmed but both of Venturi’s current drivers Maro Engel and Edoardo Mortara are Mercedes factory drivers and are linked with the German manufacturer’s arrival to the series.
